Court rejects Boeing plea deal stemming from 737 MAX crashes

A federal judge in Texas has rejected a plea deal between Boeing and the U.S. Justice Department related to the 737 Max crashes that resulted in 346 fatalities. Judge Reed O'Connor criticized the agreement for not allowing the court sufficient involvement in selecting an independent monitor to oversee Boeing's compliance. He expressed concerns that the proposed framework undermined public confidence in Boeing's probation and criticized the inclusion of diversity considerations in the monitor selection process, emphasizing that competency should be the sole criterion. The plea deal involved Boeing pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud regulators and paying a fine of over $240 million, along with a three-year probation period under an independent monitor. Family members of the crash victims welcomed the judge's decision, viewing it as a victory for accountability. They urged the DOJ to pursue a more stringent agreement that reflects the severity of Boeing's actions. The judge has given both parties 30 days to discuss their next steps following the ruling.

- A federal judge rejected Boeing's plea deal over the 737 Max crashes, citing insufficient court involvement in monitor selection.

- The judge criticized the inclusion of diversity considerations in the monitor selection process.

- Family members of crash victims hailed the decision as a victory for accountability.

- Boeing had previously reached a similar agreement in 2021, which was deemed inadequate after further incidents.

- The DOJ has been given 30 days to confer with Boeing on the next steps following the ruling.